Mixed Methods for Policy Research and Program Evaluation

Patricia Burch (PhD, Stanford University) is an Associate Professor at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles California. Burch’s research focuses on education policy, organizational and institutional theory, qualitative and mixed methods research, and evidence based policy and practice. Burch′s recent publications include Mixed Methods Research for Policy and Program Evaluation (SAGE, 2016). Hidden Markets: The New Education Privatization, (Routledge, 2009), Equal Scrutiny: Privatization and Accountability in Digital Education (Harvard Education Press, 2015). Burch’s work has appeared in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Teachers College Record, Educational Researcher, and other notable journals. Burch regularly collaborates with government agencies and non-governmental organizations on program evaluation and in improving program design and policy effectiveness, with specific attention to equity and quality. Carolyn J. Heinrich (PhD, University of Chicago) is the Sid Richardson professor of public affairs at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, affiliated professor of economics, and the director of the Center for Health and Social Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Heinrich’s research focuses on social welfare policy, workforce development, education, econometric methods for social program evaluation, and public management and performance management. She engages in research and evaluation work to improve education and training outcomes in programs for disadvantaged youth; labor market intermediaries and labor market outcomes for low-skilled and disadvantaged workers; healthcare systems transformation and their implications for the disadvantaged; and poverty reduction programs. She regularly consults and collaborates with government agencies and nongovernmental organizations on program evaluations and in improving program and policy design and program effectiveness. In 2004, Heinrich received the David N. Kershaw Award for distinguished contributions to the field of public policy analysis and management by a person under age 40, and in 2010, she was elected to the National Academy of Public Administration. Prior to her appointment at the University of Texas in July 2011, she was the director of the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Drawing on their extensive experience in large scale project management, Patricia Burch and Carolyn Heinrich clearly articulate an agenda for program and policy evaluation that is designed to ensure actionable evidence of the effectiveness of a program and its implementation is generated for all stakeholders. The examples they provide, while not minimizing the challenges of employing a mixed methods approach, will convince readers of the practicality and value of iteratively integrating both qualitative and quantitative approaches throughout the entire evaluation process, from initial design through data integration and analysis to dissemination of research findings. We can all learn from their experiences, so generously shared.

• Chapter 1: Introduction: The Demand for and Value of Fully Integrated Qualitative and Quantitative ResearchThe Role of Mixed Methods Research in Meeting the Demand for Evidenced-Based Policy and PracticeWhat Distinguishes This Book in the Mixed Methods LiteratureOverview of Remaining ChaptersRecommendations for How to Use This BookChapter 2: Conceptualizing Mixed Methods ResearchIntroductionRationale and Conditions for Mixed Methods ResearchCategorizing Mixed Methods ApproachesOverview of a Fully Integrated, Mixed Methods Research EffortDiscussion QuestionsApplications to Your Own WorkChapter 3: Designing and Implementing Fully Integrated Mixed Methods ResearchIntroductionIntegration in Research Objectives and DesignIntegration in Instrumentation Design and Data CollectionIntegration in Data Analysis and Interpretation of FindingsIntegration in Dissemination of Research FindingsDiscussion QuestionsApplications to Your Own WorkChapter 4: Practical Tools for Integrated Mixed Methods Studies of Policy ImplementationIntroductionMixed Methods Integration Strategy #1: Bridging Research Instruments for Qualitative and Quantitative IntegrationMixed Methods Integration Strategy #2: Mixed Methods Coding and Analysis MemoingMixed Methods Integration Strategy #3: Adapted Monitoring Tool and Research ReviewsMixed Methods Integration Strategy #4: Research-to-Practice CollaborativeConclusionDiscussion QuestionsApplications to Your Own WorkChapter 5: Fully Integrated Mixed Methods Research in K-12 and Higher Education in the United StatesIntroductionProgram Evaluation of Student Achievement Guarantee in EducationRacial and Ethnic Inequity in Access and Successful Student Outcomes in Higher EducationChallenges and Strategies for Addressing ChallengesDiscussion QuestionsApplications to Your Own WorkChapter 6: An Application of Fully Integrated Mixed Methods in Program Development and EvaluationIntroductionProgram and Evaluation MotivationPilot Program Development for Child Support Debt ReductionDemonstration Program Rollout and Early Evaluation FocusImpact Evaluation Findings and Their Interpretation and UseConclusionDiscussion QuestionsApplications to Your Own WorkChapter 7: Mixed Methods Research in an International ContextIntroductionChild Support Grant Impact Evaluation in South AfricaQualitative-Quantitative Integration Process in the CSG Impact EvaluationBenefits of a Tightly Integrated Qualitative-Quantitative Research ApproachConclusionDiscussion QuestionsApplications to Your Own WorkChapter 8: On the Future of Fully Integrated Mixed Methods Research: Context and Common Lessons From the Cases for the FieldHow Context MattersBroader Lessons for the FieldConcluding Thoughts